Efforts underway to grow KGEU

In recent months, many factors are coming together to strengthen airport operations and partnerships, according to airport officials. A new restaurant opened last November, called Something Special Aviation Café, which not only operates a café for airport tenants and visitors, but also runs an established catering business that has been in the Valley for several years.

New asphalt and paint have gone in on the tarmac, part of a five-year project to improve all surfaces used by aircraft and other areas. This project was made possible through grants from the FAA and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT.)

A new airport administrator came on board in July, following the retirement of Walt Fix. Kenn Potts is working alongside Fix during a transition which will prove to strengthen airport operations.

“I would like to welcome our new tenants,” said Potts. “I look forward to working in partnership with both new and existing tenants to make the Glendale Municipal Airport a great place to fly and to conduct business.”

All the positive changes have drawn new interest in the airport. The airport’s largest hangar operator, Glendale Airport Hangars, recently put 103 individual hangar condos and 11 acres of development land up for sale for the first time in 25 years in response to rising activity at the airport.

Several “sold” signs are visible on many of the private hangars near the tower. Sales of the hangars have been brisk, bringing new pilots not only from other local airports such as Deer Valley and Scottsdale, but also from the Midwest and East Coast.

“We are seeing strong interest from pilots, investors and developers,” said Glendale Airport Hangars CFO Brian Hufft. “Other airports just don’t have the space, inventory, or prices that Glendale does. This airport is perfectly situated to be a real economic engine for the city in the future.”

Pilot Harry Daye, who rented hangar space for the last 10 years, recently purchased nine private hangars as an investment.

“I’ve been flying here for quite a long time now, and I’ve never seen as much aviation opportunity for local pilots and the city of Glendale,” he said. “I fully expect to see continued growth and activity at the airport. It is truly a hidden gem.”